1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to apparatus for providing extracorporeal circulation, cardiopulmonary bypass, ventricular assist (LVAD, RVAD, BiVAD), ECMO organ preservation, fetal cardiac bypass, cancer treatment, and various areas of circulation research. More particularly, the apparatus concerns an improved physiologic pulsatile pump system that accurately duplicates blood pressure and flow patterns with no abnormal hemolysis (blood damage).
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
The importance of inducing extracorporeal circulation which is as physiologic as possible has long been recognized. To Applicants' knowledge, the first and only physiologic pulsatile pump system was conceived in the mid-1950's by a heart surgeon named Selwyn Roy McCabe. During this time period Dr. McCabe was confronted by some children in a congenital heart ward. They asked “Doctor, are we going to live or die”? Realizing that with the then present technology there was little hope for the children, he commenced work on a physiologic tricuspid valve, which then evolved to a 2-chamber physiologic pulsatile pump with a number of unique features. The doctor also envisioned that such a system could allow quality time for corrective surgery, and ultimately, prolong life support. Dr. McCabe, who was also trained in internal cardiology and physiology, felt that accurate duplication of blood pressure and flow patterns could have significant advantages to both the major vital organs and to the microcirculation.
The physiologic total life support system conceived by Dr. McCabe was successfully tested on an adult dog in Bethesda, Md. in early 1957. A neonatal/infant model, The Pediatric Pulsatile Pump, was developed in the early ‘70’s, and a number were sold for research purposes with very successful results. The present invention comprises a technologically significantly improved version of Dr. McCabe's system.